Firm wants to buy vacant fire station

BLOOMINGDALE — After having it on the market for three years, the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District has found a buyer for its fire station at 108 W. Washington St.

Although the village still needs to approve the sale, Fire Chief Tim Marrocco said that Roselle-based Thera Tech Equipment Inc. has agreed to buy the building for $375,000. The company plans to sell, rent and store physical therapy equipment in the building.

The station, which was built in 1957, was vacated after a fire station was built at 179 S. Bloomingdale Rd., said Marrocco.

He said he would have liked to have seen a restaurant open in the building, which is in the Old Town business district. But limitations on parking and how buildings in the historic district can be renovated discouraged restaurant use as well as other potential buyers, such as a limousine service and auto shops.

He said Thera Tech plans to renovate the building's facade, remove the garage doors and add landscaping. The district plans to apply sale proceeds to its capital improvement fund for such uses as replacing vehicles and property.

Although there is not yet a firm plan for it, the district may also use the money to renovate the 1960s-era station at 5N480 N. Keeney Rd., Marrocco said.